The Late Great Loretta Swit

Loretta Swit, best known for playing Major Margaret "Hot Lips" Houlihan on  the classic television show M*A*S*H, died on May 30 2025 at the age of 87. 

Loretta Swit was born Loretta Szwed on November 4 1937 in Passaic, New Jersey. She attended the American Academy of Dramatic Arts in New York. She acted in repertory and made her off-Broadway debut in An Enemy of the People. On Broadway she was an understudy for the role of Ellen Gordon in Any Wednesday and she toured with the play in 1967. She also toured with Mame in the role of Agnes Gooch. She moved to Los Angeles in 1969. She made her television debut in a guest appearance on Hawaii Five-O that same year. In 1970 she guest starred on Mission: Impossible, Mannix, and Gunsmoke.

It was in 1972 that Loretta Swit was cast in the role of Major Margaret Houlihan, nicknamed "Hot Lips"in the early seasons of the show, on M*A*S*H. She was nominated ten times for Outstanding Continuing Performance by a Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series and won twice. In the Seventies she guest starred on the shows Cade's County; The Bold Ones: The New Doctors; Bonanza; Young Dr. Kildare; Love, American Style; Petrocelli; Good Heavens; The Love Boat; Supertrain; and The Muppet Show. She made her film debut in 1972 in Stand up and Be Counted. She appeared in the films Deadhead Miles (1973), Policewomen (1974), Freebie and the Bean (1974), and Race with the Devil (1975). She appeared on Broadway in Same Time, Next Year.

In the Eighties Loretta Swit continued to appear on M*A*S*H until it ended its run after eleven seasons. She guest starred on The Love Boat and ABC Afternoon Specials.. She played Mary Beth Lacey in the the TV movie Cagney & Lacey, but could not play the role when it became a TV series because she was still appearing on M*A*S*H*. she also appeared in such TV movies as The Best Christmas Pageant Ever and Dreams of Gold: The Mel Fisher Story. She appeared on Broadway in The Mystery of Edwin Drood. She appeared in the films S.O.B. (1981), Beer (1985), and Whoops Apocalypse (1986). 

In the Nineties Loretta Swit guest starred on Batman: The Animated Series; Murder, She Wrote; Burke's Law; and Diagnosis Murder. She appeared in the mini-series The Big Battalions. She appeared in the movies Forest Warrior (1996) and Beach Movie (1998). Her last appearance was in the movie Play the Flute (2019). 

Loretta Swit will always be best remembered as Major Margaret Houlihan and with good reason. Not only is M*A*S*H one of the greatest and most popular television shows of all time, but Margaret was one of its best characters. What is more, it was Loreta Swit who was largely responsible for the development of Major Houlihan as a character. In The Hollywood Reporter, Alan Alda said, "She worked hard in showing the writing staff how they could turn the character from a one joke sexist stereotype into a real person — with real feelings and ambitions."  If M*A*S*H is a success, it is largely because of Loretta Swit.

Of course, Loretta Swit played more roles than Margaret Houlihan. In the movie S.O.B. she played venomous Hollywood gossip columnist Polly Reed. In one of her earliest roles, the Mannix episode "Only One Death to a Customer," she played a gangster's moll who operates a fashion boutique. In the TV movie adaptation of The Best Christmas Pageant Ever, she played Grace Bradley, the mother who winds up directing the pageant after the original director is injured. Loretta Swit was a an enormously talented actor who could create a variety of  fully realized characters She leaves behind a number of memorable performances.

The Gallery of Madame Liu-Tsong

The Gallery of Madame Liu-Tsong is a largely forgotten show from the early days of American broadcast television. Its run was only brief. It only ran for thirteen episodes. Worst yet, there are no known episodes of the show. Regardless, The Gallery of Madame Liu-Tsong is remarkable because it starred the legendary Anna May Wong, making it the first American television show to have an East Asian American lead. 

The Gallery of Madame Liu-Tsong centred on the Liu-Tsong of the title, the owner of a chain of Chinese art gallery who often finds herself solving mysteries on the side. The episodes had such titles as "The Egyptian Idol," "The Man with a Thousand Eyes," and "The House of Quiet Dignity." 

The origins of The Gallery of Madame Liu-Tsong go back to Anna May Wong's trip to China in 1936. Miss Wong recorded her trip in articles that she wrote for such publications as The Los Angeles Times, The San Francisco Chronicle, The New York Herald Tribune, and Photoplay. Sh also filmed much of her trip in a travelogue called My China Film. The trip would lead Anna May Wong to consider the production of a play that dealt with modern China. She would play a Chinese travel guide who would educate audiences on China and the West. Nothing ever came of the idea, although the tour guide would evolve into gallery Liu-Tsong. As to the name "Liu-Tsong," Anna May Wong's birth name was "Wong Liu Tsong." 

The Gallery of Madame Liu-Tsong debuted on August 27 1951 on the DuMont Television Network. It ran until November 21 1951. According to Not Your China Doll: The Wild and Shimmering Life of Anna May Wong by Katie Gee Salisbury, the show was plagued by "bad writing and meagre sets." To make matters worse, it aired against two high rated shows, Kraft Television Theatre on NBC (which came in at no. 23 in the Nielsen ratings for the year) and Strike It Rich on CBS (which ranked no. 25 in the Nielsens for the season). DuMont cancelled The Gallery of Madame Liu-Tsong after one season.

As mentioned early, no copies of The Gallery of Madame Liu-Tsong are known to exist. Reportedly, in the early Seventies, DuMont's library of  35mm and 16mm kinescopes were unceremoniously dumped in the East River in New York City Here it must be pointed out that The Gallery of Madame Liu-Tsong was not the only historic show to air on DuMont. The first science fiction show, Captain Video and His Video Rangers, the variety show Cavalcade of Stars (on which The Honeymooners originated and which made Jackie Gleason a star), and Rocky King Detective, one of the earliest police procedurals all aired on DuMont.

Sadly, while East Asian Americans would appear in guest appearances on shows and in supporting roles as well (Hey Boy on Have Gun--Will Ttavel and Hop Sing on Bonanza), it was not until Jack Soo starred on Valentine's Day in 1964 that there would be another show with an East Asian American lead. While The Gallery of Madame Liu-Tsong did not last long, it certainly made history. 

The Innovative James Wong Howe

Few cinematographers were as influential as James Wong Howe. Not only did he work in over 130 movies, but he made several innovations to cinematography, some of which are still widely used to this day. His impact on making movies is still being felt to this day.

James Wong Howe was born Wong Tung Jim in Taishan, Guangdong, Qing China on August 28 1999. His father, Wong Howe, migrated to the United States to work on the Northern Pacific Railway,. It was in 1904 that he sent for his family, including young Wong Tung Jim. The family settled in Pasco, Washington. It was there that a teacher called him "James Howe." Wong Tung Jim would then be known as James Wong Howe for the rest of his life. It was a Brownie camera bought at the local drug store that would spur his interest in photography.

After his father's death James Wong Howe lived for a time in Oregon with an uncle and then in the San Francisco Bay area. From there he moved to Los Angeles. He worked various odd jobs there until getting a job as part of the cleaning staff at Famous Players-Lasky. It was with the film The Little American (1917) that he became a clapper boy. It would be Cecil B. DeMille who would promote him to a camera assistant. At the same time, James Wong Howe would make extra money as a photographer taking still photographs of movie stars.

It would be still photographs of movie star Mary Miles Minter that would lead to James Wong Howe becoming a cinematographer. Miss Minter's eyes were a pale blue, which would appear washed out in photos due to the orthochromatic film of the time. James Wong Howe figured out that Mary Miles Minter's eyes could be made to look more natural if he used black velvet mounted around the camera in a frame. This lead to James Wong Howe being hired as a cinematographer for Miss Minter's film Drums of Fate (1923).

It was also during the Silent Era that James Wong Howe would use an early version of the crab dolly. It was on the film The Rough Riders (1927), directed by Victor Fleming and centred on the military unit led by Theodore Roosevelt during the Spanish American War. For those unfamiliar with crab dollies, they have four wheels and a movable arm that supports the camera. This allows for smooth, sideways movement.

James Wong Howe  also pioneered deep focus cinematography ten years before Gregg Toland used it in Citizen Kane (1941). It was as early as 1931 that Mr. Howe used wide-angle lens, deep focus on the movie Transatlantic. James Wong Howe would continue to use deep focus throughout his career, on such films as Sweet Smell of Success (1957) and Hud (1963).

James Wong Howe also pioneered the use of hand-held cameras. Although he is well-known for his use of hand-held cameras on Seconds (1966), he had used hand-held cameras as early as Air Force in 1943. He used a hand-held  Eyemo camera for some scenes in an effort to make them look more like something from a newsreel. He also used hand-held cameras on the boxing movie Body and Soul (1947), on which he also reportedly wore roller skates to capture the final, climatic bout in the movie.

James Wong Howe would also be known for his low-key lighting and his use of shadows. He utilised low-key lighting early in his career on the film Peter Pan (1924). James Wong Howe would use low-key lighting in several of his films, including The Thin Man (1934), Body and Soul (1947), The Rose Tattoo (1955), and Hud (1963). James Wong Howe's low-key lighting and use of shadows would prove influential on the look of film noir.

James Wong Howe died on July 12 1976 at the age of 76. He left behind a career filled with innovations, more than the ones mentioned here. It is fully possible that he was the most influential cinematographer of all time. Regardless, his impact is still being held to this day.

Kathleen Hughes R.I.P.

Kathleen Hughes, who appeared in such films as The Glass Web (1953) and It Came from Outer Space (1953), died on May 20 2025 at the age of 96.

Kathleen Hughes was born Elizabeth Margaret von Gerkan on November 14 1928 in Hollywood, California. Her uncle was playwright, screenwriter, novelist F. Hugh Herbert, who wrote the plays Moon is Blue and Kiss and Tell, among other works. She graduated from Fairfax High School in Los Angeles. She was a student at Los Angeles City College and appearing in Maxwell Anderson's play Night Over Taos at the Geller Theater on Wilshire Boulevard.when she was approached by a talent scout for Fox. She then signed a seven year contract with the studio.

Kathleen Hughes made her film debut in Road House (1948). In the late Forties she appeared in the movies Mother is a Freshman (1948), Mr. Belvedere Goes to College (1949), It Happens Every Spring (1949), Where the Sidewalk Ends (1950), Mister 880 (1950), and I'll Get By (1950). Miss Hughes began the Fifties appearing in 20th Century Fox's films Call Me Mister (1951) and Take Care of My Little Girl (1951) before the studio dropped her.

Kathleen Hughes appeared in I'll See You in My Dreams (1951)  at Warner Bros. and then For Men Only (1952) at Lippert Pictures before signing with Universal. She would be with that studio for three years. For the remainder of the Fifties she appeared in the movies Sally and Saint Anne (1952), It Came from Outer Space (1953), The Golden Blade (1953), Thy Neighbour's Wife (1953), The Glass Web (1953), Dawn at Socorro (1954), Cult of the Cobra (1955), Three Bad Sisters (1956), and Unwed Mother (1958). She made her television debut in 1956 in an episode of December Bride. She guest starred on the shows Telephone Time, Alfred Hitchcock Presents. Official Detective, The Adventures of Ozzie and Harriet, The Bob Cummings Show. 77 Sunset Strip, Hotel de Paree, Tightrope, and Markham.

In the Sixties she appeared in the movies Promise Her Anything (1966) and The President's Analyst (1967). She guest starred on Dante, The Tall Man, General Electric Theatre, Bachelor Father, Perry Mason, Gomer Pyle U.S.M.C., I Dream of Jeannie, Mission: Impossible, The Ghost & Mrs. Muir, Julia, Here's Lucy, and Bracken's World.

In the Seventies Kathleen Hughes appeared in the movies The Late Liz (1971), Pete 'n' Tillie (1972), and The Take (1974). She guest starred on To Rome with Love, The Interns, The Bold Ones: The New Doctors, M*A*S*H, Barnaby Jones, Lucas Tanner, Marcus Welby M.D., Medical Center, The Blue Knight, Executive Suite, and Quincy M.E. In the Eighties she guest starred on Finder of Lost Loves. She appeared in the movie Revenge (1990). Later in her life she appeared in the film Welcome to Hollywood (1998).

Kathleen Hughes played a variety of roles throughout her career, although often her parts were not very big. She played the manipulative gold-digger Paula Rainer in The Glass Web. In It Came from Outer Space she played Jane, the girl friend of phone lineman George (Russell Johnson), who leaves an impression despite appearing briefly in the film. In the Perry Mason episode "The Case of the Double-Entry Mind," she played the none-too-nice executive secretary Lita Krail. On M*A*S*H she played Colonel Blake's wife Lorraine in the episode ""Dead Dad...Three." While she appeared only in a silent home movie, Kathleen Hughes was convincing as a suburban housewife. Often Kathleen Hughes's appearances in films and TV shows may have been brief, but she always was a delight to see.

Godspeed Mara Corday

Mara Corday, the pinup girl and actress who starred in the classic Tarantula (1955) and several Westerns, died on February 9 2025 at the age of 95.  The cause was arteriosclerotic cardiovascular disease.

Mara Corday was born Marilyn Joan Watts on January 3 1930 in Santa Monica, California. When she was young she worked as an usherette at the Mayan Theatre in Los Angeles. She was 17 years old when she was hired by the Earl Carroll Theatre on Sunset Boulevard in Hollywood. She started out as a showgirl there before going on to play in sketches with the legendary Pinky Lee. She received work as a photographer's model. This led to her film debut in an uncredited role in Two Tickets to Broadway in 1951.

Marilyn Watts took her stage name "Mara Corday" from two sources. "Mara" was a nickname bestowed upon her by a bongo player when she was working at the Mayan Theatre as an usherette. She took "Corday" from the brand of perfume, which is still being made today. 

In the Fifties, Mara Corday appeared in the movies Sea Tiger (1952), Son of Ali Baba (1952), Toughest Man in Arizona (1952), The Lady Wants Mink (1953), Problem Girls (1953), Tarzan and the She-Devil (1953), Sweethearts on Parade (1953), Money from Home (1953), Yankee Pasha (1954), Playgirl (1954), Drums Across the River (1954), Francis Joins the WACs (1954), Dawn at Socorro (1954), So This is Paris (1954), Man Without a Star (1954), The Man from Bitter Ridge (1955), and Foxfire (1955).

It was in 1955 that she starred as lab assistant Stephanie Clayton in Tarantula. It would not be the last giant monster in which she appeared, as she also appeared in The Giant Claw (1957) and  The Black Scorpion (1957). For the remainder of the Fifties she appeared in the movies Raw Edge (1956), A Day of Fury (1956), Naked Gun (1956), The Quiet Gun (1957), Undersea Girl (1957), and Girls on the Loose (1958). She made her television debut i 1952 in episodes of Craig Kennedy, Criminologist. She appeared on the shows The Adventures of Kit Carson, Mr. & Mrs. North, Matinee Theatre, Combat Sergeant, The Restless Gun, Peter Gunn, Tales of Wells Fargo, The Man from Blackhawk, Adventures in Paradise, and Laramie. Throughout the Fifties Mara Corday was a popular pinup girl in men's magazines. She appeared in the October 1958 issue of Playboy as its Playmate that month.

In the Sixties Mara Corday guest starred on Surfside 6 and starred in the failed TV pilot Cabana 54. Afterwards she retired to devote herself to her family. It was after her husband (Richard Long of The Big Valley and Nanny & the Professor fame) died in 1974 from a heart attack that she returned to the screen a few more times. A long time friend of Clint Eastwood, she appeared in the Dirty Harry movies The Gauntlet (1977) and Sudden Impact (1983), as well as his films Pink Cadillac (1989) and The Rookie (1990). In 1976 she guest starred on the TV show Joe Forrester.

Mara Corday was as talented as she was beautiful. Even when a movie's premise might not be particularly believable, she was always convincing. She did a fine job playing Stephanie (nicknamed "Steve") in Tarantula. Even as ludicrous as The Giant Claw was, Mara Corday still gave a convincing performance as mathematician Sally Caldwell. In her Westerns she played everything from a shepherdess to saloon girls, and did gave good performances in all of them. Even in small roles, such as the waitress taken hostage in Sudden Impact, Mara Corday did well. She was a good on television as she was in movies, playing the wife of a wanted murderer on Wanted: Dead or Alive, a blackmailer on Peter Gunn, and a woman in the middle of a land feud in one of her episodes of The Adventures of Kit Carson. Mara Corday was always a pleasure to see on screen and she was never disappointing, even when a particular movie may not have been very good.

The Late Great Peter David

Peter David (full name Peter Allen David, which was often abbreviated PAD), the writer who best known for his work on comic books for Aquaman and The Incredible Hulk as well as original novels, movie and television novelizations, and work in television, died on May 24 2025 at the age of 68. He had suffered from various health concerns since the 2010s.

Peter David was born on September 23 1956 in Fort Meade, Maryland. He was five years old when he first developed an interest in comic books after reading issues of Casper and Wendy the Good Little Witch in a barbershop. It was the classic TV show Adventures of Superman, starring George Reeves, that got him interested in superheroes. Initially his parent did not want him tor read superhero comic books, particularly those published with Marvel which sometimes featured characters that looked like monsters (The Thing from The Fantastic Four and The Hulk), so he read them secretly. His first Marvel comic book was Fantastic Four Annual no. 3 (November 1965), which featured Reed Richards and Sue Storm's wedding. Eventually his parents relented and allowed him to read superhero comic books.

Peter David spent his childhood in Bloomfield, New Jersey, where he attended Demarest Elementary School. His family later moved to Verona, New Jersey and then to Pennsylvania. He attended New York University and graduated with a Bachelor of Arts in journalism. His first published short story was "Alternate Genesis" in Asimov's Science Fiction Magazine in 1980. Meeting with little success in writing, he shifted to working in book publishing. He worked at he E.P. Dutton imprint Elsevier/Nelson and then  in sales and distribution for Playboy Paperbacks before going to work in Marvel Comics' Sales Department. He worked there for five years.

It was Jim Owsley, who had become editor of the Spider-Man stories, who purchased Peter David's first comic book story, one featuring the Web-Slinger. The story appeared in The Spectacular Spider-Man no. 103 (June 1985). Peter Owsley bought another Spider-Man story form Peter David, which, given he was still working in the sales department, resulted in charges of a conflict of interest and Peter Owsley was forced to fire Peter David from Spectacular Spider-Man. Regardless, Bob Harras later hired Peter David for The Incredible Hulk, which was then not doing well. Peter David ultimately wrote The Incredible Hulk for twelve years.
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At Marvel Peter David also wrote titles related to The Avengers, Captain America, Captain Marvel, Dreadstar, Elektra, the Fantastic Four, Justice, Sachs and Violens, She-Hulk, Wolverine, and X-Factor. He created Spider-Man 2099.  Peter David would eventually write for DC Comics as well. He wrote a Green Lantern serial for Action Comics no. 608-620 (the title had shifted to being a weekly title for short time) before writing the Aquaman miniseries, The Atlantis Chronicles. He later wrote the mini-series Aquaman: Time and Tide and volume 5 of Aquaman no. 0-46 and the Aquaman Annual vol. 1-4. At DC he also wrote the titles related to Fallen Angel,  The Phantom, Supergirl, and Young Justice. Peter David also wrote various Star Trek series at DC. At other publishers Peter David also wrote Battlestar Galactica vs. Battlestar Galactica,  Red Sonja vs. Thulsa Doom, Soulsearchers and Company, Vol. 1: On the Case, Spike: Old Times (based on the character from Buffy the Vampire Slayer and Angel), Spike vs. Dracula, Spyboy, The Scream, and Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (2003).

In addition to comic books, Peter David also wrote several novels. His first novel, Knight Life, published in 1987,, was also the first in his "Modern Arthur" series. His other series of novels included "Photon," "Psi-Man," and "Sir Apropos of Nothing." He also wrote several movie novelizations, including The Return of Swamp Thing and The Rocketeer, among others, as well as novels based on Alien Nation, Battlestar Galactica, Dinotopia, and Fantastic Four. He also wrote several Babylon 5 and Star Trek novels (including books based on Deep Space Nine, Starfleet Academy, and The Next Generation). He also wrote several standalone, original novels.

Peter David also worked in television. He wrote episodes of Babylon 5, Space Cases, Crusade, Roswell Conspiracies:Aliens, Myths & Legends, Ben 10: Alien Force, Ben 10: Ultimate Alien, Super Power Beat Down, and Young Justice, He wrote the movies Oblivion (1994) and Oblivion 2: Backlash (1996).

Peter David is one of my favourite comic book writers of the past several decades. He was extremely inventive and he was able to breath new life into old characters, while at the same time remaining loyal to those characters. I know of many, including myself, who consider him the best writer of both Aquaman and The Hulk. He also had a gift for character dynamics, which was on display in his work on his various Aquaman titles, The Incredible Hulk, and his work on Star Trek. Indeed, while Peter David may be best known for his work on superheros, he was a fine writer of science fiction and fantasy.

Peter David was nothing if not opinionated, and he sometimes had disagreements with comic book creators, from Frank miller to Todd McFarlane. While Peter David held strong opinions, he was also known for his kindness and generosity. I know people who have met Peter David and some who even knew him as an acquaintance, All of them speak highly of Mr. David as one of the nicest people one could ever hope to meet. Peter David was a remarkable writer who brought new life to many comic book characters.

Memorial Day 2025

On this Memorial Day please remember our brave men and women in uniform who made the ultimate sacrifice. This is a poster at the Huntsville Historical Society Museum from 1944 promoting the 7th War Loan. It features many of the men and women from Randolph County then serving in World War II including General Omar Bradley.